New library proposal incites mixed feelings within Jasper community
On election day the Jasper Consolidated Library will ask voters if they are willing to pay $6.3 million for a new library on Newton Street. Many citizens seem divided on the issue as new library advocates and concerned citizens debate the proposal.
The vote will be to determine three items:
- The amount to be spent on the new library.
- The location.
- A raise in property tax amounts
Luke Verkamp grew up in Jasper and always frequented the downtown library. After leaving the state to pursue career opportunities, he returned a year and a half ago to his hometown. He thinks the library needs renovation and modernization, but would prefer it stay in the same location.
“The downtown location is crucial to making the library accessible. A lot of kids ride their bikes here.” Luke says. “I think they can do a lot with the current space. They don’t need to spend more on a new location.”
At the same time, he thinks Jasper is far behind in updates to the library. So he plans on voting yes to the referendum to start action on the library’s renewal.
“I think its long overdue. As much money as the community puts into sports facilites, I think it’s sad that [the library] hasn’t been updated since the 50s.”
The Jasper Public Library Political Action Committee (PAC) advocates the construction of the new library. They claim the future building to be a center for knowledge, culture and technology. The PAC group says a new library is needed considering the 47% increase in overall circulation of books and media in the last 5 years.
“[The new library] reflects a future beyond books and provides a place to experience information in exciting new ways,” PAC’s website states. “It embraces advances in technology and the need to assist the public in accessing and navigating information.”
PAC’s website projects 6,861,200 as the total cost of the relocation and new building. The budget allots 45,000 for the costs of computers and wiring.
A Jasper resident and expectant mother, Hallie Hall, has not heard much about the library’s plans for renewal, but she disagrees with an increase to property tax. Hall is an avid library goer who plans on bringing her child frequently and she thinks the library needs more room.
“I would like a new library but I prefer if it would be in the same location. I support renovating the old building to make it nicer, ” Hallie says. “It would be nice to have a bigger children’s area.”
The PAC group claims on their website that it would be more expensive to renovate the old library.
“That suggestion has been studied by three different architectural firms. The conclusion has been that the cost of construction at the existing site will exceed the costs at South Newton by over one million dollars. Shoring up and adding on will cost more still. The most cost effective plan is to build at a new location.”
Ann Terwiske, a resident of Ireland brings her three children to use the Jasper Public Library. The family owns rental property in Jasper and she has mixed feelings about the new library proposal.
“For what we use the library for, I think what we have is fine. It may not have to be as big as they are proposing,” Ann says.
With three rental homes, Ann says the change in property tax might be more significant than she would like.
PAC points out notable reasons for the new library. They claim the acquired property will provide space for outdoor activities. The library will also include ample on-site parking. The site will not displace any existing homes and/or businesses or close any streets. PAC claims the new library will add valuable assets to the community.
“Besides the desperately needed space for books, music CDs, DVDs, video games and audio books, the facility will be able to provide 40 more computers, 40 more comfortable seats, 20 more tables and 80 more chairs. In addition there will be three study/tutoring rooms, a quiet room, a large program room and another smaller meeting area,” PAC’s site states.
Corey Wuertz has lived in Jasper for 9 years. He works in close proximity to the existing library. He thinks building a new library is unnecessary.
“I don’t know why they want to spend money during a recession when it’s not needed. We already have a library. There’s nothing wrong with it,” Corey says. “Books are going to be obsolete in the future. The library will be a book storage facility more like a book museum than a library.”
Many area citizens express gratitude for what the public library offers, but they also want to see updates to the old facility to catch up with technological advancements.
The downtown location is important. Property tax increases are not desirable to many library patrons, however, it appears that change to the library is something citizens would embrace even if it means higher taxes.
Whether or not citizens want to pay $6.3 million to relocate and build a brand new library will be answered on November 8.
For more information on the new library proposal visit www.newjasperlibrary.com.
Who is going to protect the children and private citizens when the sex offenders and work release inmates are hanging out in the new library built across the street from the jail? Certainly not Mona or Mary Ellen. Terrible location and too much money.
Probably the same people that protect our children and private* citizens when they go see a movie then eat at los bravos or great wall… all of which are only across the street from the jail (aka not-a-prison).
Thomas, with all due respect, do you know the area at all? Lions Riverview Park(a children's playground) is closer to the Dubois County Corrections Center than the proposed new library site, as is Jasper 8 Cinemas, 3 family restaurants, the Jasper Mill and the River Walk! The DCCC, by the way, opened its new doors in 2003, three years after completion of the River Walk and probably 15 years or more after the cinemas began operating. Did you oppose the site of the DCCC in similar fashion? Just curious.
Please also note that Mary Ellen and her husband are regular user of the Jasper Public Library. As are three of her four children and 6 of her 8 grandchildren. Safety for the library users is of concern to her!
The work release inmates already visit the library. They are signed in and out by staff every day and have yet to bother anyone at the library for as long as I have been going there. Many are trying to turn their lives around by getting the help they need by using the library’s free internet and newspapers.
As for the new building costing too much, it would cost more to remain at its current location, and the work release inmates would still be able to visit. If you’re concerned about work release inmates visiting public facilities like the library, then you need to take those concerns to the correctional facility or take it up with state representatives. Allowing or disallowing work release inmates is not the primary concern of building a new library.
Seriously, how many people released from jail are going to head over to the library? There are more sex offenders living near the current library than there will ever be near the proposed site. Try reading the facts. The current location costs more to build on, not less.
I wasn't a big fan of a new location for the library at first, but one way or another jasper is getting a new library. We should do it right.
Here are my thoughts regarding building at the current location.
1. If it stays where it is, it will likely shut down 12th street between jackson and main, permanently. Plus, it may require tearing down some buildings on real estate that will need to be purchased.
2. A new library there will increase congestion in an area of town that is already bad with the current library size.
3. For any hope of room for parking, the library would need to be built up instead of out which will then require an elevator and additional bathrooms, which we eat up floor space. Plus, a second floor requires more employees to effectively watch over it.
4. Temporary relocation of books during demolition…how big a pain will that be and where would it be?
The above is only part of what changed my mind. What else?
1. The new library would only be 2/10ths of mile further away from its current location. They don't even have marathon races that small, do they?
2. It will become part of the river walk attraction. This is an area of town that could lend itself to some nice development in the future. A library in the middle of that would be nice.
3. It is no less safe for being closer to the jail than the cinemas, great wall, los bravos, the hotel, and river walk currently are being across from the jail.
4. Traffic. How safe will our children be on main and jackson with the increased traffic? Moving the library will be safer.
5. Cost. For every $100K, it will cost the homeowner less than $14 in annual taxes, a new DVD at Wal-mart.
6. Asbestos. How much asbestos is in the current building?
7. Develop now, for the future, and save money in the long run. Even if we build at the current location it will not be possible to expand it later. This new building, aside from having movable internal walls, will be able to be built on later.
I love the locations of the library, currently. I love how close it is for my kids. We are frequent visitors, so it is not lightly that I changed my mind.
I have ONLY one real concern about the library moving. What will be done with the current building? It being given back to the city is not a satisfying answer and I understand the JPL-PAC cannot answer it. Regardless, I have some suggestions after flattening it out:
1. A wi-fi park.
2. A splash park.
3. Keep it green and utilize for events: craft shows for straussenfest, monthly outdoor flea market, outdoor concerts, art shows.
4. keep it green and just make it a pit stop for dog walkers.
5. install some canopies for outdoor family events.
6. sell it.
A few of these ideas could work well before tearing down the building. I would love to see a monthly/quaterly flea market in Jasper. Personally, I would prefer it in a bigger building (away from downtown) but I really do not want to see a building sitting empty for years on end. That is my only concern.
You are correct that JPL-PAC has no say-so in what happens to the old building. There has been two enquiries about this property from interested buyers… the YMCA and possibly a church.
The city can do whatever it chooses, I personally would love to see a dog park. Enclose the current site with a wrought iron fence that is attractive , and like Huntingburg's dog park…charge an annual fee for users. This would be an income souirce for the city, as well as give dog owners a place to allow their animals to be off their leases. I'd be happy to pay for such a place.
Thank you for the coverage of the proposed new library site and the concerns of Jasper citizens. I am an active volunteer with the JPL PAC and I think it's important that folks understand who we are. I am, quite simply, a fellow citizen: a library patron, a taxpaying property owner, someone that wants what's best for Jasper and its bright future. I grew up less than 2 blocks from the JPL and now live within walking distance 30 years later.
After the JPL Board's review of so many different properties and analysis of the current site, I believe the South Newton location is the best option and I believe the time is now. I believe this new library will be so much more to our community than a "book museum" and invite the public to truly look at the plans & expand their vision of what a library can be used for. We cannot do it in the current space.
Using the current site will cost more than the South Newton location, involve street closings & buying up additional property, and, don't forget…still involves a property tax increase! Let's do it right and do it in an economically feasible manner. South Newton makes sense.
I share Joseph's concerns about the vacated building at the current site, but please understand that neither the JPL nor the JPL PAC own the current property. I liked some of Joseph's ideas for its use, but ultimately the City of Jasper must decide how it will be used.
This tax is one that I can watch being used in such an extremely positive way to better our community for all. I encourage Jasper citizens to vote YES to the referendum on Nov. 8th!
To me, this is a no brainer. I am a Jasper native but moved away for quite a few years. When we moved back 5 years ago and brought our small children, a trip to the Jasper library was disappointing to say the least. Since I was a kid, the children's section had decreased in size substantially due to the addition of the auditorium. The current children's section was very crammed and so unlike the nice, open, newer library in the comparable city from which we moved. Come on Jasper residents…the cost of this awesome facility that Jasper can be proud of is a basically 1 new book for each family!!! Think what you'd get in exchange! VOTE YES!
How many Amazon Kindles will fit in the existing library?
It's probably more than Jasper needs plus it would be a lot cheaper.
Patrick, if the problems at the current library were just shelf space for books…but they're not. The current library lacks appropriate room for children & adult programming, the building has cracks in the walls & leaks in the roof, the staff has no appropriate space for their work, the only meeting room is shared with the geneaology space & is too small as a result, there is not adequate parking for patrons (80% of patrons drive to the current library, not walk), senior citizens & the disabled complain about accessibility…the list goes on.
I also encourage you to read up on your subject matter. Read about the challenges libraries are having with publishers over e-books! Interesting article can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/business/media/…
HarperCollins Publishers is now limiting library e-books to be checked out 26 times and then then library has to buy the e-book again! Simon & Schuster and Macmillan don't even sell e-books to libraries yet! (The article is outdated regarding Amazon Kindles though…the ALA recently reached a deal w/ Amazon about accessing library e-books through a Kindle. My point would be that accessibility to this technology is still limited, still changing and only in a new library will we be able to meet these challenges.)
There are a lot of mixed emotions regarding the new proposed Jasper Library. I just need to ask that you all really think hard and pray about this. I live in the Dubois Community and we were not just "given" a new library. Many people worked hard to raise a percentage of the Library costs. The Community was required to match a percentage of our grant before it would be accepted. There were many fundraisers to do this a to not raise the taxes of the people in the community. In these tough economic times, people are barely getting by as it is and to raise taxes may eliminate be able to go to the library. I understand there are many issues with the current library, but if you consider the space around the current library that sits idle with grass, etc that is not being used, the current library could be expanded and updated as well as increase parking right where it is. I also understand that there were landowners around the current library that were willing to donate their property to keep it at it's current location. Those who are pushing for the new library, are you willing to DONATE some of your money to help build and provide transportation to the new location? Not all, but some of the people pushing for the new location could combine their own money to build the new library and still live comfortable. I think you should ask the people, especially children, currently using the facility what they would like to see. I would almost bet that with updates and probably not as costly as projected the new location could be everything you need. Remember, just because other communities have something new, does not mean that Jasper has to. Dubois was really lost after the bookmobile not longer existed. We should maybe consider being fortunate to even have a library.
Tammy do you know the cost of building a new library vs remodeling the library?
The offer has been to SELL property for expansion of the library at the current location NOT to donate property. The landowner owns several properties that would be needed for the expansion and he has told the public he would SELL for expansion. Buying that property and doing all the work required to stay at the current location makes the cost to the tax payers more to stay at the current location.
I have a question. Is the Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library already paying for two new libraries at this time?? Does Dubois residents only pay for Dubois, Ferdinand residents only pay for Ferdinand, Huntingburg residents only pay for Huntingburg and then Jasper residents only pay for Jasper or does the entire County pay for all the libraries?
I know all residents of Dubois paid into the Ferdinand library. Jasper residents will pay for a Jasper library. Heard that information today. I assume the county library is paid for by all county residents too.
This whole thing is a travesty.$300,000.00 and thirteen years and how many sites? Why is it up to the library to save downtown? Give me a break! Did the middle school save downtown? did the high school have to save downtown? Are the only kids who deserve a library in that one area of town? People act like tbe proposed site is so out of town, but look at all the people at los bravos,cinema?
Based on a conversation today, I believe it is all of Bainbridge who would pay for this library. All of Bainbridge gets to vote on the issue too.